Only one in ten pilots think Brexit will be positive for UK aviation

A new survey from the UK pilots’ association BALPA finds that only one in ten pilots think Brexit will have a positive impact on the UK aviation industry.

BALPA Secretary, Brian Strutton, said: “The feedback from our members is that a significant proportion are concerned that Brexit will be bad for UK aviation.

“While BALPA remained neutral on the referendum itself, we do find the slow pace at which negotiations are taking place concerning.

“We sincerely hope the Government is doing all it can to get us the best possible deal, but flights for March 2019 will go on sale in just two months and passengers are yet to have any clarity on exactly what agreements will be in place when they’re booking their tickets.

“We’re now seeing that the EU is considering emergency plans to keep the UK flying should there be a ‘no deal’ Brexit but we’re unsure of exactly what this looks like and what effect this will have on our £60 billion-a-year industry."

He added: “We’d like assurances from the Government on the arrangements that will be in place and that UK aviation will be able to continue to operate as normal post-Brexit.”

What now?

ADS recently called for an urgent agreement on a transition deal to ensure a smooth UK exit from the European Union. The trade association for the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, also set out five steps for UK companies to take now to prepare their business for Brexit.